No comments about Corporate Interiors No. 7 (Corporate Interiors).

2 comments about More Craftsman Homes.

1. Found this book to be very interesting as I am fascinated by the construction of homes I especially liked the craftsman approach even though it was almost 100 years ago, I think the designs are still relevent.



2. This is a reprint of a house plan catalog from 1912. These books are actually exact reprints of original plan books from the turn of the century (1880-1925, roughly). Dover adds little or no modern explanations, just presenting the catalog as it was. So when one looks to review these books, one isn't really judging the modern-day publisher, or editing, or writing. The only modern element is the accuracy of reproduction- in some cases, if pages in the originals that Dover found are damaged or torn, that page is reproduced in the original with the tear, smudge, blot, or hole showing. So to judge the books, one has to compare each one to others of its kind, and then to decide whether the material in it is thorough and complete according to the standards of its time. Since there are several dozen of these catalogs published by Dover, we have the basis for such a comparison.

   Stickley and the Craftsman school of design are well known. Many people own bungalows, or admire them even if they don't own them. What getting a book such as this does, is give a person insight into the details of the lifestyle of the time, of the philosophy of the architects/designers, and so on.

   This particular plan book is one of my favorites. It includes an introductory essay by Stickley, an essay on "The Relation of Craftsman Architecture to Country Living," and several other pieces. "The House of the Democrat" by William L. Price is also included, a thoughtful essay which would give anyone pause when looking at today's McMansions. Price says that a house should not embarrass one's friends; it should be ample enough to contain them, simple enough to leave them unoppressed, and with enough artistry to please and lead them, if they wish, to build one likewise. This essay is worth the price of the book!

   One of the features of this catalog is that along with the exterior view and floor plan of every house, there is an extensive written description. For many of the houses there are drawings of the interior, with suggestions for furnishings. There are also examples of what types of light fixtures one might use. There are several cement houses, a fad of the time which should have caught on more than it did, as it is an economical and sturdy material for building a house. The written descriptions, in some cases, even include alternate ways to finish the house to save money or to adapt it to a particular type of location. Most of the illustrations are drawings/paintings; there are a few photographs, but not many. The drawings of the interiors include wallpapers and curtains.

   There are a few houses in the book without indoor bathrooms, which is not unusual for the period, but most have a full bath, and some have two bathrooms. Almost all have extensive built-ins: sideboards, bookcases, benches and settles, shelves.

   There are a few plans for log houses, for summer camp houses, and even for rural schoolhouses. There's also a section on gardening and landscaping; one on pergolas, one on the details of concrete house construction, and one on how fireplaces work for heating and ventilation.

   In sum: this is more than just a plan book; the only bad point is that if this is your first exposure to plan books, then the subsequent ones you read will seem plain and lacking by comparison. Definitely should be in the collection of anyone interested in turn-of-the-century architecture, restoring houses, or adm

No comments about Shift: SANAA and the New Museum.

1 comments about New Classicists: Ken Tate (New Classicists).

1. This book includes many semi-opaque illustrated papers that are pasted or taped to the bound pages. It's a nice idea, but the paste and/or tape in my copy arrived dried out so that the inserts are loose, and the acids or oils in the glue seeped through the paper so the inserts are also blemished. I'm assuming this was a design flaw, and did not just affect my copy. Did anyone else have this problem? Aside from this disappointment, this is a pleasant and attractively laid out picture book of one architect's expensive new dwellings using classical idioms. In my opinion, best suited for fans of the types of showplaces that are favored by Architectural Digest.

1 comments about Farm Houses: The New Style.

1. I love farmhouse style, and there have been some noteworthy books recently that have amazing images and really help to articulate what is so compelling about the form. This is not one of them.
   
   "The Farmhouse" is a beautiful, useful book. Buy it.
   
   But Farm Houses: The New Style is not a peer. It is not tragic, but it really pales in comparison.

5 comments about 500 Cottages.

1. Very interesting. Enjoyed looking at all the cottages featured in the book. Mostly in California though.



2. This is a wordless picture book for adults that show images of cottages and Victorian homes. The pictures are nice, although some look particularly dated/old. The only item listed next to the picture of each home is the location - no date of construction or architect or anything else. The drawback of this book is also the limited scope - every other picture is from Chico, CA or the San Francisco Bay Area; there is a very small spattering of homes from other places. The photographer really limited himself to the West Coast, so the book is definitely lacking in that respect. The book is very small and compact, and I'd recommend browsing it at the library and not purchasing it.



3. This collection of outstanding photography of eclectic houses will take you out of your living room and offer you a stroll through the scenery.



4. Wow... well I must say that I really feel "taken"!! Both Taunton Press and Keister have done excellent work in the past, so I did not think twice about purchasing the book... Unfortunately I did not pay attention to the SIZE! I fully expected this to be a picture book because that was how it was advertised. But I assumed it would be 8"x10" like similar Taunton publications. Did it do what it set out to do? Yes. It is a picture book about cottages. I did not expect the book to be 5" x 6" -- less than half the size of normal books. This is a "post card book". Buyer Beware-- This book is tiny!



5. This is a small book with a lot of delightful images. To me it feels like sitting down in Doug Keister's studio and rummaging through a box of photos. The houses aren't in order so if you see one you like, you may come across it again from a different angle in a hundred pages. It's an eclectic group ranging from gingerbread to the stone extravaganzas of Earl Young in Charlevoix, MI.
   
   "500 Cottages" is short on text (and context) but it doesn't claim to be a comprehensive history. It's reasonably priced eye candy, the sort of thing one can set out that guests will grab and page through. It afforded me considerable pleasure and quite a few smiles of recognition as I flipped the pages from one enticing photo to the next. I'd been to his site at and enjoyed a chance to see excellent photos that didn't make it into his book projects---this (and "500 Bunglaows") is a more portable way to look at them.
   
   Keister's outtakes beat most architectural photographer's best work.

5 comments about House: A Memoir.

1. This book interested me as a native Clevelander and a former resident of Cleveland Heights. It also happened that I had recently sold an old house (in Atlanta) and had happily cast off the annoyances of homeownership.
   
   For Ruhlman, the old house that he & his wife buy becomes imbued with many meanings of home. Ruhlman grew-up in the nearby suburb of Shaker Heights and the house becomes a meditation on growing up in suburban Cleveland and being able to recapture some of that life as an adult and for his children. Cleveland Heights once rivaled Shaker Heights for prestige, but was never as carefully as planned a city and always had a socially and economically more diverse population. Shaker Heights is a beautiful suburb, but Cleveland Heights is somehow more comfortable and real. Much of Cleveland Heights predated zoning laws (which became established in law because of a court case in the nearby suburb of Euclid, Ohio), yet the basic layout of things has endured and has proven to be just as livable today as it was decades ago. Partly for privacy reasons, Ruhlman doesn't give too much detail about his immediate neighborhood, but in doing so, he fails to give Clevelanders and non-Clevelanders a real sense of place and context. Cleveland Heights is filled with leafy streets and an ecelctric mix of "traditional" architectural styles, with the odd modern, sometimes architecturally significant, interloper. The broad boulevards include tudors, french provincials and federal style homes. The side streets include various kinds of "colonials" including "dutch colonials", bungalows, "California" contemporaries and small scale tudors. Near the commercial strips, one finds the frame 2 and a half family wood framed "Buckeye front" houses that are unique to Cleveland. I have coveted many a Cleveland Heights street and home.
   
   The book moves back and forth between a number of narratives. It begins with the straightforward acquisition of the house. At points, it digresses into Ruhlman's past and that of his wife, whose reluctant transplantation to Cleveland is a recurring theme, and their marriage. There's a long digression into scholarly work about suburbs that's overwritten, needlessly academic, and just doesn't work. Ruhlman tries to defend suburbia, but isn't very convincing. Shaker Heights & Cleveland Heights were streetcar suburbs and Shaker still has the streetcars. They have the density and layouts to permit neighborhood business districts and neighborhood life to exists in ways that are more "urban" than suburban and certainly different from much of post WWII suburbia. Cleveland Heights is the kind of place where "suburbia haters" wind up buying a house.
   
   Some of the best parts of the book deal with buying the house and restoring it. I found myself jealous of his home inspector, a man who found the kinds of very expensive plumbing and drainage problems that my inspector missed. Instead, I would up redoing an already remodled bathroom and spending thousands on french drains. The book become somewhat jarring because we don't get more of the evolution of the house from "wreck with good bones" to home. OTOH, one of the most interesting seques is the reconstruction of the house's history. This leads Ruhlman to contact former occupants, who put him in touch with other people who spent time as visitors or residents of the house. One former resident even returns for a visit.
   
   Ruhlman ultimately ties up most of the loose ends, although we aren't privy to how things came together, in his marriage, or in the restoration of the house. In stories like this, one expects to read of ill-timed cost overruns, periods of primitive existence, and follies in home imporvement. Instead, we get a little mortaring, some painting, and a steady stream of rich people's castoffs from Ruhlman's mother in Florida.
   
   Still, the book reminded me how a house becomes caught up in many other things in one's life, and most of the time, that's a good thing or at least a useful thing. For some people I know in Atlanta, the house is their excuse for staying there--almost like a bad marriage. For Ruhlman, the house was a way to keep the marriage together, although his wife didn't always see it that way. The book would have been better if we hadn't been lectured about urban planning and if we could have seen how the house's history, it's restoration, and Ruhlman's marraige get pulled together.



2. My husband is a native Clevelander, and we met in the city before moving to Florida shortly after our marriage. We were there 2 years when I read a review on this book, and it was one of the catalysts in bringing us back to Cleveland, snow and all. Michael Ruhlman is a gifted writer, and this is clearly his love letter to his home and neighborhood. I loved it, although I'm not sure if it will be as well-received by people who do not know and love Cleveland Heights the way I do! Fascinating.



3. As a native Clevelander, this book about an old house right around the corner from where I went to college really hit home (no pun intended). I enjoyed reading about the history of Cleveland and the venerable neighborhood where the Ruhlman family live, and sympathized with them as they undertook a massive home remodeling. A good mix of history, house and family issues. Definitely would recommend this one, along with the author's other books.



4. Ruhlman's latest book focuses on his family's renovation of a hundred year old Victorian home in the Cleveland Heights section Cleveland. Ruhlman manages to weave a history of suburbia, and America's tense relationship with its very idea, with a personal remembrance of renovating something from the studs. His discussion of the history of the Cleveland Heights section as well as his own home's owners helps to bring the area to life; I found it to be an interesting look at a city that is struggling to regain some of it's urban power. The changing nature of suburbia is the backbone for much of what he writes - how America, an ever moving nation, has changed it's view on not only suburbs but also on the very notion of home and family. He also discusses the problems this presents for him, questioning why he and his wife are choosing to subject themselves to living in the attic of their new home while contractors built what must be one of the most beautiful kitchens in the world! Ruhlman does not shy away from the tensions that are laying under the surface of his life. And even if he does not flesh them out fully or always understand his desire for this massive Victorian structure, he is honest in his confusion.
   In a few instances Ruhlman can get a bit preachy about what it means to have a home. In some ways he invest too much in the actual physical property rather than what makes his house a home: his family, his wife, his neighbors, even his cooking. That would be the only slight drawback to an otherwise excellent read, one that has you thinking about the nature of urban development as well as laughing about the ups and downs of major renovations.



5. The movie, 'House' in which Kevin Kline starred was not based on this memoir. His house was built in a tree. Here, the Ruhlmans give a detailed account of their acquisition of a 100-yr-old place in Cleveland and how their lives were changed drastically. It is in a neighborhood meant for the city's elite, an aristocratic Anglo Village, but that was long ago. Sounds like the Fort Sanders area here.
   
   Chuck played 'This Old House' recorded by Rosemary Clooney about a worn out, tuckered out place and no one who has the time to fix the shingles. The house on the cover of this book has shingles. Unless there is a resident ghost, no old house is as good as a brand-new one. Years ago, I tried to save Tennessee Hall in Pulaski, and my group of old-lady residents of the town were treated to a meal in the college president's exclusive dining room of the cafeteria. The dean, a Methodist minister, told me, "You can't go home again" -- everything changes. I was going to prove him wrong by returning to my hometown 'to die' but I soon learned that he was right. There is no going back.
   
   The cost is too prohibitive to rehabilitate old, worn out houses and ancient downtown buildings. The plumbing and wiring are antiquated, meant for a different era. In Pulaski, a gazebo was built out of three tall antebellum columns (the 4th crumbled during demolition), all that is left of our historic Tennessee Hall. It was my first residence as a college girl and later as wife of a teacher with two small sons when it was used as a boys dorm. One student always whistled the song, 'Mrs. Robinson,' when he saw me.
   
   Houses are like people, some age gracefully but others die in accidents (fire); a few have a variety of lives when a gullible rich family gets duped into renovation. For some, owning a house means they have made it -- achieved what their parents did, but at what a price? Others move constantly. My dad was one of the movers and shakers, until his old age. These past 25 years, so have I been unable to find a 'home' -- so I guess the lure of the open road can be an inherited instinct, like hyperthyroidism as a medical problem or osteoporosis handed down from grandmothers.
   
   Houses give a sense of permanence which is an illusion. On a local talk show, a volatile caller upset some folks by proclaiming that only land owners should be allowed to vote. A house gives false protection from harm, but a castle had a moat to keep out intruders; burglars lurk right around the corner. And you can't control who your neighbors are or how they conduct their personal lives or the company they entertain in their own homes.
   
   Lincoln said that we are all created equal, but the poor suffer the indignities because of their social status or lack thereof, and the rich are selfish individuals and not all are happy. A house does not make a home. It is the people who live there and love there (sometimes born there) who make the place a home. It is not rich furnishings or expensive ornaments. It is contentment and being relaxed and eager to 'come home.'
   
   All the Ruhlmans wanted was to possess a place of their own to call 'home' no matter the price, financially or emotionally. He has written other books, about cooking, and numerous articles for 'Gourment' and 'Food Arts.' He must be a master chef.

5 comments about The Distinctive Home: A Vision of Timeless Design (American Institute Architects).

1. Well done. I loved it. Great insights into building. Knowledgeable & yes, Timeless. Worth the price and worth the read for those who wish to build that are from "all walks of life".



2. But, sadly I was dissapointed. I recently updated a 'distinctive' home, I cannot think of anything more distinctive that a classic American farmhouse, yet IMO the homes feaured were cold. The Author writes well and is tops at his craft but I was expecting something else. I agree w/ other reviews it pertains more to new construction rather than restoring a historic home.



3. Would highly recommend this book to all! Covers many sound Design ideas, a must have for any designer or architect!



4. I really enjoyed looking at the pictures and picturing in my head what those ideas could look like in my area.



5. Another high-quality, gorgeous book from Taunton Press, a company that I remember from its inception when I lived in Newtown, Connecticut!

   This book is full of countless beautiful color photos and drawings that add immensely to the author's viewpoints and to his descriptions of the components of a distinctive home.

   Eck discusses every aspect of a home: siting the house; the roof; the landscaping, and everything in between. He overlooks no detail that will aid homeowners in deriving a sense of satisfaction from their homes. The homes he describes are livable and comfortable.

   I especially liked reading Eck's four elements of a "pleasing" house and the significance and importance he attaches to each element.

5 comments about Wright Style: Re-Creating the Spirit of Frank Lloyd Wright.

1. The book landed on my doorstep 2 weeks after I ordered. The photos are well made and the whole atmosphere breathes the true wright stories.
   Too bad that the webshops listed have very little to offer which was the only disappointment.
   The level of detail and attention for seperate elements gives inspiration on how I want to decorate my house and how the harmony was created.



2. All of the other customer reviews were extremely positive, and I would like to concur in their respective judgments.

   Wright's life was filled with controversy, and his work is subject to complex interpretation. Other authors, in my opinion at least, devote way too much book space to these matters; Lind, on the other hand, has done a masterful job in organizing the key elements of Wright's style (furnishings, usonians, etc>) and gathering stunning, modern photographs that illustrate each.

   If you buy one book on Wright, this should be the one. Better than anything else I've seen, it will demonstrate why the man's work lives on -- 45 years after his death.




3. This book takes a look at what makes Frank Lloyd Wright's designs still so popular today. The book itself is so gorgeous, focusing not just on the houses but also on the furnishings, which can be breathtaking! The photos were excellent and conveyed the feeling of really being there.

   I read three books about this architect this weekend, and this one was the most complete of them all. It gave me a peek into so many of his uniquely designed buildings and the furnishings and decorative arts that he created for them.

   Something I had never seen before: at the end of the book there is a catalog of items that can be purchased from different vendors. These are FLW reproductions, items inspired by FLW, and those "in the style of FLW". These items range from furniture to rugs to lamps to fabrics and decorative items.

   On my "tour" of over 40 houses (designed by both Wright and his followers), I saw that all of the designs were simple ones, with natural colors and finishes, the buildings seeming to spring out of the earth. I saw the open flowing floor plans that are sheltered by overhanging, gently sloping roofs. Many of the places I "visited" had built-in furniture and fixtures.

   It was interesting to view all of the things that Wright designed for his homes....besides the items mentioned above, he also designed the windows (art glass), light fixtures, skylights, wall murals, and even the landscaping!

   Wright changed American architecture forever, resulting in open floor plans, multi-purpose rooms, naturally-lit spaces--- and showed us a different way of living.




4. This is a wonderful book: gorgeous color pictures with an informative and most insightful text. Far beyond a coffee table collection, this is a real contribution to understanding Wright, and American housing. Lind discusses the design ideas of a number of Wright's most famous or typical extant buildings. You get a good idea of the exhilarating play of light and space in his houses, and the real significance of such modern cliches as ranch-style, strip and corner windows, patio doors, and built-ins. Besides real insight into Wright's aesthetic, the book is notable for its unique coverage of 12 houses by Wright disciples, and appendices on interior arts and sources of reproductions. (Wright would be appalled, since he saw furnishings as uniquely integral and scaled to particular houses!) A "dangerous" book, it singlehandedly reawakened my interest in Wright's architecture. It may draw you, too, into learning more of Wright, and influencing your choice of home.



5. The book has many photographs an does a credible job of detailing each of them. I found that the book well organized. . I would highly recommend this as an intro to Wright's work. The author tries to touch on as many subjects a possible, as result there are times when it was somewhat lacking in depth. That being said there is a great reference of things Wright in the back of the book that is worth the price of admission alone.

5 comments about The Architecture Pack : A Unique, Three-Dimensional Tour of Architecture over the Centuries : What Architects Do, How They Do It.

1. This book is a must for anyone interested in architecture and pop up books. What a wonderful learning tool. So sorry it is out of print. Actually having bought it through Amazon as a used book, it was in GREAT condition.



2. I had just discovered this out of print popup book by chance just recently and I regret it had not been in existence when I was deciding on a career direction when I had waffled between career disciplines my tender years. This adult geared book successfully demystifies some intimidating structural concepts and introduces the reader to the important historical references and people in architecture. Architecture/structural engineering concepts are best learned in 3 dimensions as with the astounding popups, not with a flat one dimensional media. I agree with another reviewer who hopes for a second edition with added CDRom/DVD media to match up with today's technology.



3. This is one of the most awesome books I've ever seen. Lots of cool things to do. Well worth the money!



4. If this book had met only 1/2 of my expectations, I would have been pleased. It exceeded them. Every page is a series of surprises and delights. Whether you're interested in Architecture, or just love classy gadgets, this is your book. I cannot imagine anyone who, getting this book as a gift, would not be delighted. Read the product description, and add 50%. The only down sides are the long delivery time, and the book's delicacy. One is torn between wanting to look at its contents repeatedly, and the fear that the book might be damaged by too much handling. Order two!!



5. Contrary to other architecture books that are muddled with academicians' essays, which in turn are filled with architecture terms that amateurs like myself wouldn't possibly understand, this book or pack is informative, playful, and easy to understand. Just say that it's a crash course into architecture rather having you going thru 5 years training in a varsity with working experience. The pack guides you to the fundamentals of architecture like the origin of architecture, when is architecture becoming a distinctive profession as in miedevel time, architect is a stonemason, sculptor all blended into one; the influence of Classicim, unavoidabability of learning about Palladio and Vitruvius; structure and form; new materials & shapes; art & architecture blended as one; the changing city, influenced mostly by our usage of cars; the process, with Richard Meier's Getty Centre as a case study. To top this pack off, there a booklet informing readers of prominent &/or infleuntial architects & architecure terms commonly heard & used respectively(quite concise); timeline stipulating the architecture breakthrough since the beginning of time & where does those famous architects stand in the passage of time; a model of Schroeder house for us to build. The journey through this pack is simply a revelation, surprises everywhere & never failed to bewilder me. I'm adamant that the pop-up buildings is an art in its own rite & what about the enclosed "Mission Impossible" glasses that enable us to see the inner structure and exterior structure of buildings so that we would appreciate architecture more? Before I forget, there's also a cassette narrated by the author. Believe me, you will spend hours and hours immersing yourself in this pack forgetting how time flies when you are enjoying yourself the most. Highly recommended for architecture enthusiasts. A note of caution though, due to the fiddly but fine detailing in this book, readers are urged to handle the pack with utmost care, & it would be wonderful to have a second edition, continuing on where the author has left off in 1997.